


This Could All Be Yours Someday

by enigmaticblue



Series: Sun 'Verse [10]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-11
Updated: 2011-02-11
Packaged: 2017-10-15 14:09:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben didn’t see the point in moving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Could All Be Yours Someday

**Author's Note:**

> Set in my Sun ‘Verse, the summer of 2011. The title comes from the Guster song, “This Could All Be Yours.” For some reason, the first time I heard the song, I thought of Dean and Ben.

Ben slumped in the backseat of the Impala. He’d already said his goodbyes to Bobby, but he wished it was over and done already. Ben _hated_ goodbyes.

 

He didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay in Sioux Falls with Bobby.

 

Ben felt Mary slide in next to him, scooting over so her side was pressed up next to his, and he pulled an arm free to wrap around her shoulders. He supposed he could be grateful that Mary was coming with them, and that the only person they were leaving behind was Bobby.

 

But he wasn’t. Ben didn’t want to leave at all.

 

He glanced out the window to see his dad clapping Bobby on the shoulder, and Bobby shaking Cas’ hand. Mary waved to get his attention and quickly signed, “Are you okay?”

 

Ben shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

 

“We’ll see him again,” she signed.

 

“I know.”

 

His dad slid behind the wheel of the Impala, and Cas climbed into the passenger seat. “Everybody ready?” his dad called.

 

“Ready,” Mary signed.

 

Ben just looked out the window, unwilling to say anything to ease his dad’s way.

 

The sun was just peeking up over the horizon as they pulled out from Singer’s Salvage Yard, and Ben stared at the rapidly brightening sky long and hard.

 

He _really_ hated goodbyes.

 

~~~~~

 

When Ben looked back on it, he remembered his first glimpse of their new home as painted in green and gold and blue—golden light, green leaves and grass, blue sky. The house reminded him of Bobby’s, in a way. It was an old farmhouse with two stories and an attic, but there was a barn off to the side, and an ancient, weather beaten chicken coop, too.

 

Mary tumbled out of the car on Cas’ heels, but his dad remained behind the wheel. “I know it’s not much, but we’re going to fix it up.”

 

“Is this all there is?” Ben asked. He realized that he sounded like an ungrateful jerk in the next moment. “I mean, is there a town somewhere?”

 

He wasn’t used to being so far from civilization. Cicero hadn’t been a huge town, but there had still been shops and restaurants and a mall. Sioux Falls hadn’t been that different, even if they didn’t get into town all that often.

 

And now they’d moved to the sticks, Ben thought. The freaking _sticks_.

 

“There’s a town a few miles down the road,” his dad replied. “But we’re out in the country.”

 

“Sucks,” Ben muttered.

 

“We’ve got the land for a garden, space to hunt, and neighbors a few miles down the road,” his dad responded. “Give it a chance, Ben. I know you’re pissed, and I understand why, but I hope you’ll come to understand why I moved us out here.”

 

Ben pushed the door open. “Whatever.”

 

There was already some furniture in the house, although his and Mary’s rooms were relatively empty. “Howl’s supposed to come by today with some furniture, so you shouldn’t have to sleep on the floor. Feel free to explore as much as you want.”

 

Ben glanced into his dad’s room and saw a bed with a rickety table next to it, and it wasn’t nearly as nice as Bobby’s guest room. If Ben had any doubts about what was going on between his dad and Cas, they were put to rest when Cas began unpacking.

 

His mom had taught him that it didn’t matter whether someone liked boys or girls, and Ben _liked_ Cas, but it was still weird.

 

Mary stood by the window in her new room, staring out at the yard and the scrubby grass, not that different from Bobby’s house.

 

And so different from the house Ben had lived in with his mom.

 

“Hey. Want to go look around?” Ben asked.

 

Mary shrugged, but she turned from the window to give him her attention, and she followed him out of the house as he walked out the front door. The cloudless sky stretched out above him, and Ben tipped his head back to soak up the sun. After the winter they’d just come through, he was grateful for the warmth and the light.

 

Ben headed to the barn first with Mary tagging along behind him. The barn had a couple of stalls that might have housed livestock, as well as a few wisps of old straw scattered on the hard-packed dirt floor. He saw the ladder leaning against an opening to a loft above, and Ben moved over to it immediately. “Wait here,” he warned Mary. “Let me make sure that it’s safe.”

 

The wooden rungs creaked under his weight, but the ladder seemed solid enough, and Mary was smaller than he was. The wooden floor of the loft appeared in good repair, and Ben stuck his head through the opening to call to Mary. “It’s cool. Come on up.”

 

She moved more cautiously than he had, but she followed willingly enough. Ben strode across the floor to one of the large openings at the end of the barn. Ben pushed the shutters open easily, grinning as sunlight streamed inside, illuminating the loft.

 

“Cool,” Ben said. He didn’t mind saying it in front of Mary, although he wasn’t ready to tell his dad about the parts of the new place that seemed okay.

 

Mary signed, “Very. Let’s see the rest.”

 

Ben looked out over the new property. From this angle, he could see the gravel drive leading up to the house, the fields that stretched out in one direction, and the dark shadows of the woods on the other. There was a lot of ground to cover.

 

“Where to first?” Ben asked.

 

Mary pointed at the woods.

 

“Okay, let’s check it out.”

 

The woods were green and cool, the branches arching overhead blocking most of the sunlight. They didn’t have to go very far before they hit the river. The water gurgled brightly before it curved and bent back in on itself, forming a natural pool of sorts.

 

Mary toed off her sneakers immediately and stuck her toes in the water, her mouth opening in an “O” of surprise.

 

“Cold?” Ben asked.

  
She nodded emphatically, and Ben pulled his shoes off, determined to test it out for himself. He shouted when he felt the frigid water on his feet, but it was mostly in delight.

 

For a moment, Ben could forget his anger at his dad, his sorrow at leaving Bobby’s. He felt only the cool spring breeze and the startlingly icy river and the river stones under his toes.

 

“Awesome,” Ben had to admit when they sat next to the bank, drying off their bare feet with their socks.

 

“This place is good,” Mary signed. “It’s a happy place.”

 

Ben lay back on the damp earth. “Maybe,” he replied begrudgingly. “It might not be so bad.”

 

They sat for a while longer before finally heading back towards the house. There were two unfamiliar trucks parked in front next to the Impala, and he and Mary slowed down when they caught sight of the vehicles.

 

Mary grabbed his arm. “Who is it?”

 

Ben read the tension in the jerky movements of her hands. “I don’t know. It’s going to be okay, though.”

 

He pushed the front door open slowly, Mary staying behind him. Apparently hearing the front door open, his dad called, “Ben? Mary? Come on in here.”

 

Ben entered the front room slowly, keeping Mary behind him. His dad and Cas were sitting on a dusty couch while an old man occupied a threadbare recliner, and an older woman sat in a straight-backed chair.

 

“Maryanne, Howl, this is Ben and Mary.” His dad waved him inside. “Come on in.”

 

Mary darted around Ben and climbed into Cas’ lap in a characteristic display of shyness around strangers.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Maryanne said briskly. “We’re glad to have you here.”

 

Ben knew he couldn’t get away with being rude to strangers, although he wanted nothing more than to turn around and head straight up to his room. “It’s nice to meet you,” Ben said, remembering the manners his mom had drilled into him.

 

“It’ll be good to have a neighbor in Shep’s house again,” Howl replied. “You kids are welcome to come down and see the puppies.”

 

Mary perked up at that, but Ben wasn’t going to be bought so easily.

 

“I raise dogs,” Howl explained, seeing Mary’s interest. “You can play with them any time you want.”

 

Mary offered a shy smile in response.

 

“Ben, you want to give us a hand with the beds?” his dad asked.

 

Ben wasn’t inclined to argue in front of strangers, and he was feeling a little more okay about moving now, so he nodded amiably. “Sure.”

 

“Thank you, son,” his dad murmured, touching Ben on the shoulder tentatively.

 

Ben shrugged, but he didn’t throw off his dad’s hand. “It’s cool.”

 

~~~~~

 

Ben’s new bed was a full-size, and bigger than any other Ben had in the past. He’d made sure the head of the bed was right below his window, and he’d left the window cracked so that he could feel the evening breeze over his skin.

 

He heard his dad’s voice, the words indistinct. Ben realized that his dad and Cas must have had their window open, too. He heard Cas’ low chuckle, and his dad’s growling response. Even though he wasn’t entirely certain about their relationship, he liked hearing their voices. Strangely enough, it made Ben feel safe.

 

He’d nearly drifted off to sleep when his bedroom door swung open slowly. Ben propped himself up on an elbow to see Mary hovering in the doorway. “You okay?” Ben called softly.

 

Mary nodded.

 

“Come on, then.”

 

Mary closed the door silently, and then slid under the covers next to Ben, her head on his shoulder. They had spent a lot of nights like this while at Bobby’s. If Mary had a bad dream, or if she got scared, she came to Ben. Having her here made this new place feel like home.

 

When Ben woke up, Mary had already slipped out of bed. She was always an early riser, and she was usually up before he awoke.

 

The light streaming across the room told Ben that it was late morning, and he peered out the window. He loved the view. There was something about seeing fields and forest that appealed to him in a way he couldn’t fully explain.

 

Ben stumbled down to the kitchen to find his dad, Cas, and Mary gathered around the kitchen table. “Are you hungry?” Cas asked.

 

Ben nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“I’ll start the pancakes up again,” Cas said, pushing back from the table.

 

“Thanks,” Ben said.

 

Not even his mom had made pancakes like Cas did, although Ben felt more than a little guilty for thinking it. Still, he dug into his breakfast, suddenly starving. He inhaled the first stack as soon as Cas finished them, finishing just in time to start on the next pile Cas heaped on Ben’s plate.

 

Cas smiled indulgently when Ben mumbled a compliment through a full mouth. Ben knew better than to piss off the cook—his mom had often told him that if he couldn’t show some gratitude, then he risked his chance at continuing to eat anything other than peanut butter sandwiches he made himself.

 

“I thought we might get some target practice in today,” his dad said once Ben had polished off his second stack. “We’ve got a few things to do around here this morning, but maybe after lunch.”

 

Ben felt himself flush with pleasure. “Uh, yeah. That would be awesome.”

 

“Mary?” his dad prompted. “Is that okay with you?”

 

She nodded, although she looked uncertain.

 

“I’d like you to at least know how to handle a weapon,” his dad said gently. “But if you don’t like it, I won’t ask more of you than that.”

 

Mary nodded again.

 

“You want to go exploring again?” Ben asked her.

 

She grinned at him in reply.

 

~~~~~

 

Ben loved learning how to shoot. He loved the feel of the rifle in his hands, the way his dad made gentle corrections, and the way the gun jerked back against his shoulder. He loved his dad’s grin when Ben hit the target for the first time.

 

The fact that Ben started hitting targets by his third shot, and quickly improved from there, was just icing on the cake.

 

“I’ll have to take you hunting,” his dad said as Ben finished knocking the last tin can off the log. “You’re a natural, son.”

 

Ben perked up at that. “Hunting?”

 

“Sure. We’ll set up a deer blind and see what we get.” His dad clapped Ben on the shoulder. “Good job, Ben. Mary, you’re up.”

 

Ben watched as Mary shouldered the rifle hesitantly. His dad stood close behind Mary so that his body would absorb some of the recoil. “All right, kiddo, let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

Mary didn’t do nearly as well as Ben had, probably because she closed her eyes half the time. She was doing a lot better by the time her arms started to shake with exertion, but Ben felt a warm glow of satisfaction at knowing how well he’d done.

 

“We’ll try you out on a smaller handgun,” his dad said, giving Mary a hug. “You did great today, but the rifle is a little harder to handle.”

 

Mary shrugged and ran off, leaving Ben alone with his dad. “I hope you’ll be happy here, Ben.”

 

Ben looked out over the green fields, and the forest beyond. He thought of hunting, and the bend of the river and its cool, still waters. “Do you think we could go fishing someday?”

 

“Of course,” his dad said. “What about tomorrow morning?”

 

Ben grinned. “Yeah. That would be awesome.”

 

That night, Dean and Cas built a bonfire, and they fried sausages and vegetables and potatoes in a pan over the flames. Ben had no idea where his dad and Cas had gotten them, but they tasted really good. After dinner, his dad produced a bag of jumbo marshmallows, Hershey bars, and graham crackers for s’mores. Ben showed Mary how to toast the marshmallows on the wire clothes hangers they’d twisted into shape.

 

He licked his fingers to clean off marshmallow goo and melted chocolate and watched as Mary did the same. Ben lay back on the blanket they’d laid out. He could see his dad and Cas across the fire, sitting shoulder to shoulder, their heads bent together. As he watched, Cas smiled and leaned in, putting his hand on his dad’s cheek, tilting his head for a kiss.

 

Ben thought he’d feel uncomfortable seeing the evidence of their affection, but he didn’t. Instead, he felt warmth and safety. If his dad and Cas were together, if they loved each other, there wasn’t the chance that either of them would fall in love with someone else. Ben wouldn’t lose Cas, because his dad was in love with Cas.

 

That felt right. It felt good.

 

Mary stretched out next to Ben and tucked her hand into his as they both stared up at the sky.

 

The stars appeared brighter and more plentiful here, although Ben knew enough to know that was because there wasn’t as much light pollution out here in the sticks.

 

Ben smiled. There was hunting and fishing here; he could learn to shoot, and study all the constellations here. He had his dad and Cas and Mary.

 

It wasn’t about how happy they could have been at Bobby’s; it was about how happy he could be here.

 

He had everything he needed, Ben thought. That was the important thing.

 

That was the only important thing.


End file.
